A group of people sitting around a table talking with a laptop and papers

Education and dissemination are an essential part of the salt research project. In order to enhance collaboration between conservators and scientists in the field of salt research, the Conservation Institute developed and disseminated a series of educational tools designed to share insights and expertise.

These tools include several video clips depicting the salt decay process under time-lapse conditions. Some show the deliquescence behavior of sodium sulfate, chloride, and nitrate in the environmental scanning electron microscope and optical microscope. Additional videos of salt mixture behavior are planned.

The Institute assisted in organizing the advanced course and workshop "SALTeXPERT," held in November 2002 in Prague. The meeting—attended by over 30 participants from 17 countries—was jointly organized with the Czech Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, as part of the Advanced Research Centre for Cultural Heritage Interdisciplinary Projects, which is supported by the European Community.

Completed Work

  • Development of a digital time-lapse video system to study decay over time at the macroscale
  • ESEM and optical microscope dynamic experiments documenting salt behavior on the microscale
  • A building materials deterioration bibliography
  • SALTeXPERT course and workshop, Prague, November 28–30, 2002
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